Choosing a health care practitioner for the duration of one’s pregnancy, labor, and delivery is not necessarily easy especially if you, like me, just moved. In anticipation for our big move back to the midwest, I began looking into the options available in the city where we were going to move. This city isn’t a huge city but it is significantly larger than the city we just left, with more than half a million people, surely there would be lots of prenatal and birthing options. Given that there are three major hospitals in the area, there are literally hundreds of … Continue reading →

My quest for a midwife was largely motivated by my dislike of shots, needles, drugs, and hospitals. After reading a large number of books and several articles comparing and contrasting birthing options, the benefits of using a midwife for the pregnancy and birth of our son was undeniable and 100% desirable. Here are our top ten reasons for choosing a midwife in no particular order: Reason Number One — More Control: Instead of being a passive participant with things happening to me, I was actively seeking to ensure the best possible outcome for both pregnancy and birth. The midwives supported … Continue reading →

With my first pregnancy, I hated my doctor. With my second, I loved my doctor. I had female OBGYNs both times. First, let me tell you what I loved about my doctor during my second pregnancy. She was calming. She did not overreact about things. This was exactly what I needed. I am a worrier, so having a doctor that was not was very helpful. It was easy to schedule appointments and I never waited more than 10 minutes. She listened to me ramble. Never once did I feel like she was going to rush out of the room, or … Continue reading →

Q: I’m pregnant! How long does it take to find a OB/GYN or midwife if I do not already have one? A: It depends on how much research you want to do. I would start with referrals from friends, and then I would call and talk to the nurses to ask their opinions. I found my OB/GYN through the recommendation from a nurse at his clinic (where there were multiples doctor’s practicing) who said he had great bedside manner. She was right! I researched and called around for a few hours over the course of two days before I found … Continue reading →

Unless you have faced a major illness earlier in life, it’s more than likely that you will visit the doctor as many times during your pregnancy, if not more, than you have in your entire life. Pregnancy checkups occur monthly at first, and by the end of your pregnancy, they happen weekly and sometimes twice a week depending on your level of risk. With such frequent visits, you should probably be aware of the rules, some unspoken, of what you should do and not do when you are in for a checkup. Be clean. Someone once told me that it … Continue reading →

There’s quite a bit of discussion about ultrasounds going on right now. Although the recommendation for the number of ultrasounds during an uncomplicated pregnancy is two, an increasing number of women are having three or more. Ultrasounds are safe for both mom and baby, but extra ultrasounds across a large group of pregnant women can add up to quite a bit in medical costs. Another problem that could result from too many ultrasounds is increased anxiety over test results, particularly when something appears to be wrong in one ultrasound, and then fine in the next. Typically, a healthy pregnant woman … Continue reading →

In the age of Google, pregnant women everywhere have themselves worried sick about diseases, complications, birth defects, and traumatic labor. Search engines are great for learning more about morning sickness cures and breastfeeding techniques, but it’s not a good place to turn when you are worried about things of a more serious nature. Your doctor is a better resource. The internet is biased. People love to post pictures of birth defects, write stories about traumatic birth experiences, and fill up forums with warnings about every activity, food and drug out there. What you don’t see are the countless accounts of … Continue reading →